Campus police arrest two students in connection with auto vandalism

University of Richmond police have arrested two undergraduate students on charges of misdemeanor vandalism after 17 cars were found spray-painted last weekend in the University Forest Apartments parking lots.

The students, whose names were not released by campus police, were arrested Thursday, charged with six counts each of misdemeanor vandalism and turned over to the Henrico County Sheriff's Office for processing, Police Capt. Beth Simonds said Friday night. The students did not resist arrest, she said.

University police are not authorized to release the students' names because Richmond is a private university, Simonds said. Police officers at the Henrico County Sheriff's Office also declined to release the names and referred questions to a media relations officer, who was not available after business hours, when the news was released.

The students will face arraignment in a Henrico County court and then receive a court date. Names are expected to be released Monday.

Simonds said vandalism on university campuses was a fairly common offense, but she called the Feb. 14 destruction "unusual" for a weekend night.

Multiple witnesses to the spray-paintings reported the incident to university police, who investigated and found enough evidence to arrest the two students, Simonds said. Police said they believed the damage to all 17 cars was related, but some of the owners declined to press charges.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The Collegian will update this story as more information becomes available.

Contact staff writer Dan Petty at dan.petty@richmond.edu